The assessment is based on analysis of the five largest IMA sectors which shows the percentage of funds run by women ranged from just 2% in the UK Equity Income sector to 7% in UK All Companies.true
An estimated 6% of managers in the Global sector were women, while the figure was just 5% in both the Corporate Bond and Mixed Investment (40% – 80%) sectors.
These low figures are made even more remarkable given the success of the likes of Julie Dean, manager of Cazenove UK Opportunities – and named successor to Richard Buxton on the Schroder UK Growth investment trust – who leads the way over five years in the UK All Companies sector.
Bestinvest highlights a number of other successful investors – including Margaret Lawson of SVM UK Growth, Audrey Ryan of Kames Ethical Equity, and Rosemary Banyard, co-manager of Schroder UK Smaller Companies – who have also performed well against their peer groups.
Around 17% of current FTSE 100 company directors are women, with the government urging businesses to achieve 25% female representation by 2015.